Sucker-rod coupling



Feb. 7

W. A. SUTTON ET AL SUCKER ROD COUPLING Filed latch 16. 1926 f M Ke/so. 4/0 a y INVENTORS.

A TTORNE Y.

UNITED STATES PATENT? OFFICE.

WALTER A. SUTTON AND FAY M. KELSO, 0F 0XNARD, CALIFORNIA.

sucxnimton oournmo.

Application'flled March 16, 1926. Serial No. 95,088.

The present invention relates to sucker rods for deep-well pumps, and pertains, more particularly to sucker rod couplings.

In the operation of oil Wells, particularly at great depths and in wells where the pumps have to be removed or pulled quite requently, one of the large and objection-' able costs ofproducing oilfrom pumping wells, is that represented by the time and labor consumed'in going in and coming out with the pump, tubing and rods.

It istherefore an object ofour, invention to provide a strong couplingembodying two parts, eachcoiniected to corresponding ends of corresponding rods, which parts maybe qulilckly attached to,'or detached from, each ot er.

Another object of our invention is to dispense with-screws, threads and. the like, in-

asmuch asthreaded parts are dangerous unless very securely set, and when so'set, much time is required to break the screw the connected parts.

1 Another object of the invention is to pro- ,vide a' quick coupling which is capable ofcarrying loads of many tons, and which is vpractically precluded from becoming uncoupled accidentally.

Still other objects and advantages of our invention will appear hereinafter.

We have illustrated our invention by the accompanying drawings, in which; i

' Figure 1 is a view in elevation of one see; tron of a practical embodiment of our ma ivention this section belng known as thepin end.

Figure 2 is a similar view of the other part hereinafter known as the box end.

Figure 3is a view in elevation showing the parts coupled together. Figure 4 is a view in section on a line of Fig. 5.

Figure 5 is a view in section on a line plings.

joint and un .sponding flat surface 16. tions' are fitted together, as shown in Fig. 3,

, sponding opposite points.

vention we employ-two coupling sections, such as 1 and 2, respectively, the section 1 being fitted tothe lower end of a rod length 8, while section 2 is fitted to the upper end of each rod length. "It will be understood that the rods 8 are of considerable length and may be directly welded to the coucouplings, and the operation of lowering a long string of rods into a hole by connecting one rod to another, is well understood bythose skilled in the art.

The salient feature of our inventionresides in the construction of the coupling per se. The pin end section is provided with an enlarged portion 10, preferably of maximum permissible diameter, making allowance for the fact that the portion 10 must be a loose fit in the oil tubing (not shown) to permit the fluid to flowby. From the portion 10 there projects a vertical tapered pin 12 of reduced. diameter, as compared to portion 10.

The box end section is likewise provided with an enlarged body 10. of the same diameter, preferably, as portion 10. Each. section is of constantly changing reduced diameter toward the rod, so that the coupling will readily move by sharp corners or projections which .itmay encounter in moving through the tubing. The box end section is provided with a tapered bore 14. The upper end of the box end section terminates in v a horizontal surface 15, andthe pin 12 joins the body'of the pin end section at a corre- When the secthese'sections comeinto abutment and serve The manner of securing rods to to definitely position the pin in the tapered bore. I

In the manufacture of this coupling, the boxend section and pin end section are assembled in the relation shown in Fig. 3.

The two holes 1717 are drilled parallel to I In order toposition the pin, correctly in the bore of the box end section, the said section is provided with a semi-circular depin at correpression 11.9 in the top surface "thereof. A corresponding depression is formedin the -portion of the pin end section, and a to provide a complete staple.

surface 220i thebridge is accurately-turned dowel pin ismpermanentlyset in said -dedepression 19, thus correctly positioning the pin in the bore.

The two bores 1'? are adapted to receive i locking pins, such as'18, and preferably said pins are joined to each-other by abridge 21, The outer to conform to the outer circumference'ot the body of the sectionsand said surface is=depressed slightly. as at 23.

The body sec tionQ is provi'ded"with a cavity 24 for the receipt'oi: thebridge' 21,-so that the bridge doesaiotprotrude frornthe assembled coupling.

1 The circumferential surface of section'2 ismilled' with a vertical shallow slot 25, which fades into the en'- 1 cumference, as at 26, while terminating'in a shoulder 27 at its outer boundary. -A spring clip 28 is provided and same is pivoted=t0 'the body, as at 30, so that-it'm'ay be swung from the position in-which it'is shown in Fig. 2,into the position shown in Fig. 4. In

the latter position it holds-thestaple in place. I The upper end of' the clip is bentinward- 1y, as at-BZ, and is adapted to'extend into a depression 38 in the body above the cavity where the staplereposes. RVhen the spring clip is disposed witlrits bent end in said de- 'pression, it cannot heremovedwithoutinserting an instrument (not shown) 'in'the depression, and prying the bent end of the clip out of place. Then by swinging the clip into the position in which it is shown in Fig. 2. thestaple-maybe driven out. The holes 17are drilled entirely through the body so thata punch or the-like (not shown) -may be employed for quickly driving the staple outof locking position.

It will be apparent'that the pin is held in the tapered bore bythe' -staplein 'such i manner that the pin can neither turn, aseend or descend in section 2. Thus during rec1- PFOCZItlOll of the rods there 1s no turning or lost motion, and consequently there is no tendency for the holes 17 totbecome=enlarged by wear. It desiredythe coupling may be fitted with a second setof holes and a second wcavity for the staple, so that any damageoccurring to the ifirstwsetof holes wvillanot render the coupling useless.

All vertical Stressto-Which the rods are subject, as in raising'tlie pump plungerand the 'oil column, are 'resolvedinto a shearing stresson the pins ofthe staple. .These pins are of comparatively great crossfisectional area Where they key the pin to' thebody of the box end section.

In making .up a string of .rods, as in 'the act of going in with the pump plunger,

successiverods are connected to-each other "by-inserting the pin end of oneinto the box end of the other. centered with regard to the boxend section pressiou' In assembling the coupling sections, the dowel pin is caused to seatin the Each pin end section is by means of the dowel pin. 'VVhen properly 'positioned, with the corresponding surfaces in abutment with each other, the staple is :pressedinto place. A. light tap with a hammer will serve to set the st-aple, and then the spring clip'isswung into place. The parts so [assembledwill remain so'permanently. -To uncouple the sections, thespring clip lsprled out ot the way of'the stap'le. The staple is *quickly driven out, and 'the'taper'pin can be "easily withdrawn from the tapered bore merely by lifting the upper rod length' while the lower oneis held by gravity. 1 Itiis advisable to have an appreciabletaperito the :pin and bore'to prevent'undue'Wedging and to perm1t of their beingreadily separated.

usual removable wearing shoes employed-in sucker rod couplings. The shoes are "only light press fits in the slots, and said slot-s areopen at the upper ends. The shoes are readily removed or replaced when the memberQ-isdetached from member 1,-butwhen the coupling members are couple'dtogether, these shoes cannot'become dislodged during the reciprocation of the rods in the' 'oil tubin 'llVhile we have: shown and described a specific embodiment ofour inventionsitis to be understood :that this illustration is by way of example only, and'we do not wishlto-be limiteditoany specific constructionor arrangement of parts, and wemay alter 'same as'wedesirewithout enlarging thescope of our invention as set 'forth in the appended claims.

We claim: 1. Ina couplingof the class described, a

vertical elongated coupling member having a body provided 1 with a vertical bore, another coupling member having a body 'disposed above and in abutment with the upper end ofsaid first'named body member, a fixed depending 'pin' carried by other body member; titted snugly in said bore; the body of the first member andthe pin ofthe'second named member jointly providing indentationswhich when aligned provide-through bores jointly penetrating thesaidbodyand pin, respectively, locking pins "removably 'ClIlVGll into said bores, a bridge "connecting sald lockmg pins; one of said bodies provided with a cavity forreceipt of sai'd'bridge,

and said bridge being disposed insaid cavity.

2. A coupling as in claim 1 and further including aspring clip externally of the body and pressing yieldably against said bridge.

3. In a coupling of the class described, an upper coupling member having a lower plane surface, a lower coupling member having an upper plane surface and vertical dovetail slots intersecting the outer margin of the body and terminating openly at said upper plane surface, correspondingly shaped wearing shoes removably fitted in said slots, and

removable-from said slots when the sections are heldtogether by said means.

WALTER A. SUTTON. FAY M. KELSO. 

